essay
nounEtymology
Since late 16th century, borrowed from Middle French essay, essai (“essay”), meaning coined by Montaigne at the same time, from the same words with the earlier meanings 'experiment; assay; attempt', from Old French essay, essai, assay, assai, from Latin exagium (“weight; weighing, testing on the balance”), from exigere + -ium.
Definitions
A written composition of moderate length, exploring a particular issue or subject.
A test, experiment
A test, experiment; an assay.
An attempt.
- My first essay at getting employment was fruitless; but after no small number of mortifying rebuffs from various parties to whom I applied for assistance, I was at last rewarded by a comparative success.
- This was Lee's first essay in the kind of offensive-defensive strategy that was to become his hallmark.
›+ 3 more definitionsshow fewer
A proposed design for a postage stamp or a banknote.
To attempt or try.
- Shall we essay a walk on the promenade?
- He retraced his steps to the front gate, which he essayed to open.
To move forth, as into battle.
The neighborhood
- neighborassay
- neighboressayist
- neighboressayistic
Vish — recursive loop
A definitional loop anchored at essay. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.
A definitional loop anchored at essay. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.
9 hops · closes at essay
curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.
sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA